


he loves me, he loves me not

by orphan_account



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Grisha Yeager's Bad Parenting, Homophobic Grisha Yeager, Kidnapping, M/M, Stalker Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Stockholm Syndrome
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-17
Updated: 2017-03-17
Packaged: 2018-10-06 11:11:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10333352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Did Levi really kidnap Eren out of love, or did he have ulterior motives? Would Eren ever be able to love his captor in return? Could their conflicted, damaged hearts create something beautiful, or were they destined to destroy each other?





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading, and be sure to read the tags in case the subject of the fic is triggering for you! hope you enjoy~

When Eren woke up, he felt groggy and exhausted. His thoughts were fuzzy and his mouth was dry.. It took him a moment to realize he was laying on a bed. A queen-sized, insanely comfortable bed. It felt like he was lying on a cloud. He slowly forced his eyes open, blinking away his blurry vision to see a white ceiling. He glanced around the unfamiliar room in confusion, and dizziness slammed into him. Eren let out a soft groan and closed his eyes.

What the fuck was going on? Where was he..? How did he get here?

Eren took a few minutes to think back and remember what had happened. He was at his house, with his father.. And.. He had decided to come out to the man. They ate dinner and Eren finally did it. He told his dad he was gay, and the man responded very negatively. He started spouting bullshit at Eren about traditional marriage and sin, and before Eren knew it, he was kicked out of the house and told not to come back.

He had nothing with him except the clothes on his back, his key necklace around his neck, and a phone in his pocket. He texted Mikasa and Armin, his two best friends, asking them if he could spend the night with either of them.. But they didn't respond. They were probably busy with homework or out partying or something.. After all, they were both living at their colleges. They were both about half an hour away from Eren's home, so he couldn't walk...

Well, that used to be Eren's home. Now he had no place to go back to. He was freaking out about the whole situation, and he had no idea what to do. He sat down in an alleyway and started crying. He was pissed and afraid.. He hated his dad.

No, he wasn't even his dad anymore.

If Grisha couldn't accept the fact that his son was gay, he didn't deserve that title. Eren was angry about the injustice of it all.. He was no different than before he came out! Him being homosexual had nothing to do with Grisha, and it didn't affect him at all! And now Eren's closest friends were too busy to deal with him...

He eventually got himself together and stopped crying. Mikasa and Armin would reply to him by morning, and one of them would help him out. He wasn't alone. Everything was going to be fine.

Eren ended up falling asleep in that alleyway, since he had nowhere else to go. Staying up all night waiting for a response from his friends was just going to make him feel even shittier.

Eren woke up to the feeling of liquid being poured in his mouth. He jumped at the feeling and his eyes shot open, but all he could see was the silhouette of someone in front of him, pouring a glass of something into his mouth. Eren tried to spit it out and push the person away from him, but they held a hand over his mouth and pinched his nose, making sure he couldn't breathe.

Eren had no choice but to swallow the liquid. Once he did, he bit the person's hand and gasped in breaths once they let go. He tried to stand up, but the person grabbed his wrists and pinned him down, sitting on top of Eren to keep him still. They held his wrists in one hand and used the other hand to cover his mouth. The person was strong.. Eren couldn't do a thing to get them off. He fought against them to the best of his ability, but it wasn't good enough.

The person sat there keeping him still for about an hour. They didn't do anything else, and they didn't speak at all. Eren was terrified and confused, but nothing happened.

Until, finally, he began to feel woozy. His body went limp and he stopped fighting back. His vision started fading. Eren tried to stay awake, but after a few minutes, he slipped into unconsciousness.

And now Eren was awake, in some stranger's house. He opened his eyes again and sat up, looking around him in more detail. Blankets were pulled over him.. Eren noticed that he still had his clothes on, which was good. His key was still there, too, but his phone wasn't in his pocket anymore. The room was painted white just like the bed. The room was windowless, but the light on the ceiling was on. The room was fairly large. It contained a dresser, a nightstand, a desk, a chair, and a TV. There were two doors to his right.. Eren figured one went to a bathroom or a closet, and the other went to the rest of the mystery house. There was a camera on top of the dresser, pointing straight at the bed, irritating and scaring Eren. He flicked off the camera.

Eren tried to get out of the bed, but then he noticed something pulling on his left wrist, keeping him there. He looked over to the source of his captivity, and saw a silver cuff on his wrist, with a long chain connecting him to the headboard. Eren wasn't chained or tied up in any other way. It was just the wrist. The cuff was tight.. Eren yanked and tugged at it, doing anything he could to get his wrist out of it, but it didn't budge. His limbs were numb and weak.. He assumed it was from whatever was put in that liquid he was forced to drink. He tried to pull the chain off of the headboard, but there was no way he could do so.

Eren grew frustrated and panicked, and began pulling on the chain as hard as he could, although he knew he wouldn't succeed. His desperate pulling made a lot of noise, and before he knew it, someone was opening the door. Eren froze and his gaze moved to the door, breath hitching. His heart began pounding and he felt a knot forming in his stomach at the suspense.

The door was pushed open, and a man walked in. He had porcelain pale skin, which was a bold contrast to his pitch black hair. His hair was in an undercut, parted slightly off center, with bangs hanging down in his face, almost in his eyes. Those eyes were a piercing, steely grey color, and seemed to be staring straight into Eren's soul. His gaze was starved and intense.. It caused fear to course through Eren's veins. The man had a crease between his eyebrows, as if they were always furrowed. His mouth was in a stern line and his jawline was stunningly prominent. The man was of short stature, but what he lacked in size, he seemed to make up for in strength. He was wearing a snug, sleeveless black shirt that showed off his muscled arms and his toned torso. He had black jeans on as well, and everything about him was intimidating, sharp, and dark.

"Who are you!? What the fuck do you want from me?" Eren demanded, his anger and fear deepening as the man got closer.

The man- most likely his captor- smiled slightly and his eyes lit up.

"Your voice is even more beautiful than I imagined, Eren." He spoke, his voice deep and gravelly, his words sending a chill down Eren's spine.

Eren scooted as far away from the man as possible, giving him a hard glare.

"How the fuck do you know my name?"

The man sat down on the bed next to him, too close for comfort. Eren stiffened and he clenched his fists, ready to attack if he had to.

"I know a lot more about you than you think, bright eyes." The man stated. It sounded like a threat to Eren.

"What all do you know about me?" Eren questioned, curious, nervous, and unable to stop himself.

"I know that your name is Eren Jaeger. I know that you're nineteen years old. I know that you have a sister named Mikasa Ackerman, a mother named Carla, and a father named Grisha. I know that your mother died from a car accident when you were fifteen. I know that your best friend is Armin Arlert. I know that you have a dog named Titan. I know that you got in a lot of fights in high school. I know that you lived at 148 Lavender Way until last night, when your father kicked you out for being gay. I know which colleges Armin and Mikasa go to. I know all of your friends' names and where they live. I know that you don't have a driver's license. I know that you've been working at the bookstore and I know that you're taking a gap year because you don't have enough money to go to college. Is that a good enough answer, bright eyes?" The man explained, with each bit of knowledge making Eren's eyes go wider and wider, and his heart beat faster and faster.

Eren gaped at the man in astonishment and disbelief, overwhelmed by the load of information the man had about him.

"What the fuck..? Why and how do you know all this?!" Eren shouted, completely puzzled. He felt dizzy for a moment and his vision blurred. He closed his eyes and a little groan escaped his lips.

"I'm truly sorry about those side effects, Eren... I had to drug you with rohypnol to get you here." Eren's captor apologized, sounding like he was talking about groceries or something normal, instead of a fucking _kidnapping_.

"Where the fuck even am I? What do you want from me?" Eren shot at him, searching his eyes for an answer.

The man cracked a little smile that unnerved Eren.

"You're at your new home, my darling! And I don't want anything from you. I've got all I desire right here in front of me." He said, his voice getting a bit husky at the end, driving even more fear through Eren.

"You're fucking insane." Eren hissed.

The man's eyebrows furrowed.

"Don't say that, Eren. That's rude." The man scolded.

Eren's glare hardened.

"Let me go." He demanded, trying to seem more strong than afraid.

"That's not going to happen, Eren. I've been waiting for you for weeks, and I'm not going to let you slip through my fingers." The man stated.

Eren gritted his teeth.

"You can't keep me here forever, asshole! People will come looking for me. They'll find this place and you'll rot in jail." Eren said in a burst of anger.

"No need to get upset, my darling. Don't worry about that. We're miles and miles deep into the woods. Nobody even knows this cabin exists. There's no chance at all that anyone will find us... You're all mine." The man replied, talking as if he was reassuring Eren. "And nobody will search for you, anyways. Once your friends realize you're gone and once they notify the police, they'll assume you're homeless. They'll all give up after a year or so."

Eren felt a bit of his hope dissolve. All he could do was hope the man was lying to scare him.

The man had been looking at Eren like he was a masterpiece.. He barely blinked, and never looked away from Eren.

"You're so beautiful, my darling. I'm glad to finally have you here with me, here where you belong." The man said, sounding happy.

Eren wanted to rip that satisfied expression off his face.

"Why are you so obsessed with me, you freak? Who the fuck even are you?" Eren asked angrily.

"Stop calling me things like that, Eren." The man ordered, his voice cold and hard, frightening Eren. "And my name is Levi. I saw you working at that bookstore once.. You were so gorgeous, I knew I had to make you mine. So now, here you are. I'm so lucky to have you..."

He reached towards Eren's face, and he slapped it away as hard as he could with his free hand.

"DON'T FUCKING TOUCH ME!" Eren yelled, feeling sick at the thought of his captor's hand on him.

Levi looked hurt. His face filled with a cold, calm rage that terrified Eren.

"Don't you ever hit me like that again, Eren. I don't want to punish you." Levi said, his voice harsh. "Let me touch your face. I'm not going to hurt you, my darling."

Then, he reached towards Eren again.

Eren didn't listen to his captor's commands. He slapped the hand away and kicked Levi in the gut as hard as he could. Eren still wasn't completely in control of his body, since the drug made his limbs weak.. But he managed to make the man gasp in pain.

Then he let out a threatening growl.

Levi's hand made contact with Eren's face before he knew what was happening, and the loud slap echoed in Eren's ears. His vision swam and his cheek stung from the unexpected hit. Eren turned and glared at his captor with anger and determination blazing in his eyes.

He didn't care if the man hurt him. He would fight back as much as possible.. He wasn't about to give up and be some docile, complacent victim.

Levi met eyes with him, practically buzzing with fury. He reached over and opened a drawer of the nightstand, and pulled out another cuff with a chain attached to it.

Eren's eyes widened and he shook his head.

"No- no, don't..!" He objected, and held his arm protectively against his chest, not wanting to be completely helpless.

Levi went to grab his wrist and Eren kicked him in the stomach again.

Levi let out another menacing growl and quickly straddled Eren, tearing his wrist away from his chest. He snapped the handcuff around Eren's wrist and chained it to the headboard while Eren objected, cursing and struggling underneath him.

Levi glared at Eren once he finished restraining him, and Eren went silent at that chilling stare.

"Stop. Fighting." He demanded, his voice quiet but strong.

Eren finally stopped thrashing beneath him, knowing it wouldn't do any good at the moment.

"Good." Levi praised. "Now, I won't punish you any more, because I know I haven't set the rules yet. It's not your fault for not knowing how to behave.. So here are the rules.

You will not fight me. You will obey me and listen to what I say. You will ask before doing anything. You will not lie to me. If you don't follow these rules, I'll have to punish you. Do you understand, bright eyes?" Levi explained, and Eren's eyes narrowed.

"I don't care about your shitty rules." He challenged, looking at Levi with a daring spark in his eyes.

"Be quiet, my darling. I don't want to hurt you, don't you see that?" Levi replied. Eren just glowered at him.

Levi finally sighed in disappointment and stood up.

"I'll give you some time to calm down. Yell for me if you need anything, bright eyes." He said, and walked out.

Eren exhaled in relief, his muscles relaxing. Now he could actually think about his situation. He'd been kidnapped by some crazy stalker, and was chained up in his cabin, miles away from civilization. The man was going to hurt him. Rape him. Torture him. Kill him. There were all sorts of possibilities... What if Eren was never found? What if Levi was right, and his friends would just assume he was homeless and give up on him..?

No. Eren couldn't start thinking like that. He had to hold onto his hope, and he had to push away his scared thoughts. He had to think logically.

How could he get out of the situation?

Now that both his wrists were chained up, he couldn't try to escape. Goddammit.. He shouldn't have attacked Levi like that. Now he was helpless. He could move around on the bed a bit, but he couldn't stand up. He couldn't even reach the nightstand. There was no way to escape. He'd just have to wait until Levi unchained him to make a run for it... His captor would have to take off the restraints to let him use the restroom at some point.

Whenever Eren would get a chance to escape, he would take it without a second thought.

He wasn't going to let himself die there. He was going to fight back, he was going to escape. There was no way he'd listen to Levi's rules... Eren had no idea what the man wanted to do to him, but he wouldn't let it happen.

Eren didn't have any idea what time it was. There was no way to tell, without a window or a clock.. The minutes dragged by, and all Eren had was his panicked thoughts. He missed his friends. He hadn't seen them in a week or two, since they'd been so busy with college lately.

Eren felt like he had been alone in that room for hours. It had probably only been one hour, but time was passing so slow that he couldn't take it. Boredom was killing him. He spent awhile pulling desperately at his restraints, but it didn't get him anywhere. All he did was hurt his wrists.

Eventually, the loneliness and boredom was overwhelming Eren, and he had to do something about it.

"Levi..?" Eren called tentatively, but his voice was too quiet and hoarse. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Levi!"

Eren was starting to worry that Levi had left the house, but then the door opened, and he relaxed.

"What's wrong, bright eyes?" Levi asked from the doorway, looking genuinely concerned.

"Can-" Eren began, and averted Levi's searching gaze, feeling uncomfortable. "Can.. I have a clock in here?"

Levi nodded.

"Sure, my darling. I have one in my room that I'll bring for you." He stated and left, leaving the door cracked.

Eren sighed in relief. He wouldn't feel as crazy now. He was a bit confused by the fact that Levi was giving him what he wanted. Eren had lashed out at him not long ago.. Why would Levi do anything for him?

A few moments later, Levi pushed the door open and came in, setting a digital clock on the nightstand, and facing it towards Eren.

It was 11:27 AM.

"Thank you." Eren mumbled, and internally cursed himself afterwards. Why the fuck was he thanking his kidnapper? That small favor was the least the man could do for him.

"You're welcome, bright eyes. I'll bring you some food at 12." Levi responded, giving Eren a long look before leaving.

Eren sighed and closed his eyes, his mind wandering for the next half an hour.

Then, Levi returned. He had a plate and a cup of water. The plate had a grilled cheese sandwich and grapes on it. He sat down next to Eren and put the food on the nightstand, then looked over Eren with a thoughtful expression.

"Will you try to fight me again if I unlock your cuff?" Levi questioned, and Eren immediately shook his head.

"Hm.. Fine. Don't break my trust." Levi replied.

He pulled a key out of the nightstand and unlocked Eren's right wrist. Eren rubbed the wrist and winced a little at the pain.

"Are you okay? Are the cuffs too tight?" Levi asked, looking concerned again.

"A little." Eren muttered, not meeting his gaze.

"I'm sorry. I'll fix that after you eat. Here." Levi said, putting the plate on Eren's lap and handing him the glass.

Eren downed most of the water, suddenly realizing how dry his throat was. Levi just sat next to him and watched him eat, making him very uncomfortable and nervous.

"Do you have any food allergies?" Levi wondered, and Eren shook his head a little.

"How are you feeling, my darling? Still dizzy and weak?" He pushed.

"Why the fuck are you asking me this shit? Why do you care?" Eren shot at him, pissed.

Levi looked hurt, and Eren's glare just deepened.

"I care about you, Eren. I don't want you to be hurt or unhappy." He answered simply.

Eren just scoffed.

"That's rich, coming from the guy who kidnapped and slapped me." He muttered under his breath.

Levi's expression filled with guilt. "Yes, I'm sorry about that... But I had to, bright eyes, don't you understand? I had to save you from a world of people who could hurt you. I can't let you be in danger.. I need you to be with me, where I can keep you safe. And I don't like hitting you, my darling, but I will if it's necessary." He told Eren.

Eren clenched his fists in anger. He put the empty glass of water and empty plate down, and looked away from Levi.

"What's wrong?" Levi asked. His worried voice just made Eren's stomach twist. That compassion, that concern... It was sickening.

"Nothing. I'm done." Eren said coldly.

"Really, what's wrong?" Levi pressed.

"I want to go home. I don't want to be here. I don't want you." Eren admitted in a fit of irritation.

Levi was silent, and Eren refused to look at him.

"Don't say that, bright eyes. This is your home now." He said, shutting Eren up.

He chained Eren's right cuff again so he could loosen his left cuff. He took off the right cuff again afterwards, grabbed the dirty dishes, and left Eren alone again.

For twenty minutes, Eren tried and failed to get out of the cuff, scraping and chafing his wrist in the process. He let out a little frustrated yell and slammed his fist against the headboard. He covered his face and let the tears fall. God, he just wanted to leave. He didn't belong here. He just wanted to see his friends. He missed his fucking mom.. Just the thought of her made Eren cry harder. He missed his dog. He even missed his asshole of a father.

Eren didn't think his crying was that loud, but then he heard the door open. He tensed up but didn't move his hands from his face. He felt the mattress dip as Levi sat down next to him.

"Eren, don't cry.. Please don't cry. I don't want to see you sad." Levi said softly.

Eren felt a hand on his shoulder and he shrugged it off violently.

"Get out!" He shouted, voice cracking slightly.

He heard a little sigh, and the weight on the mattress was gone.

Eren didn't pay attention to whether the man left or not.. He cried for a few more minutes, and finally removed his hands from his face to see a tissue box and a glass of water on the bed, only serving to confuse him further.

Eren blew his nose, wiped off his tears, and drank the glass of water.

Then he laid down and got under the covers, closing his eyes and trying to forget where he was.  
Crying had drained whatever energy he had left. Eren was absolutely exhausted... He fell asleep within minutes of laying down.

Eren woke up to someone gently shaking his shoulder, softly repeating his name.

He blinked his bleary eyes open to see Levi standing in front of him.

"Hey, sleepyhead." Levi teased, smiling at him. "I brought you dinner."

Eren rubbed his eyes and sat up to see that it was 6:02 PM. He had slept for quite awhile. There was a plate of food on the nightstand and another glass of water. The used tissues were gone.

Levi handed him the food and water, sitting with him while he ate again.

Eren was halfway through rhe meal when Levi spoke. "I'm sorry I hit you, my darling. I feel awful about it."

The apology surprised Eren, but he refused to comfort the man. Levi deserved to feel bad. Eren just nodded in understanding.

"Do you need to use the restroom?" Levi asked, and Eren nodded a bit. "Okay."

He pulled another set of cuffs with chains out of the drawer in the nightstand.. But the chain was much longer. He put them both on Eren before taking off the first chain on his left wrist. The chains of these cuffs weren't connected to anything, but Levi was holding them tightly, barely giving Eren any slack. They stood up and he walked Eren to the restroom that branched off from the room. Eren considered kicking him in the balls and making a run for it, but the chains were so long, he knew Levi would be able to grab onto it before he got out. Plus, Levi's grip on the chains was so tight that he probably wouldn't let go.  
Levi let Eren go in the bathroom alone, slipping the chain under the door and closing it.

The bathroom was fairly small.. Eren used the toilet, washed his hands, brushed his teeth,  
then was led back to his bed and chained to it again.

"Call if you need anything." Levi stated, then turned around and left with the dirty dishes, flipping the lights off on the way out.

And Eren was alone with his thoughts again. He felt so goddamn trapped... Well, he was trapped. But still. It was strange not having the simple freedoms he was used to.

I guess you never really know how good something is until it's gone, huh?

Eren sighed. He couldn't text whenever he wanted anymore. He couldn't go on social media or take selfies or invite anyone over. He couldn't go to the bathroom without getting led over there like a dog. He couldn't listen to music. He couldn't watch TV. He couldn't go anywhere except that bed. He couldn't even see outside. He couldn't draw or paint like he always did... Eren couldn't fucking do _anything_.

He was completely helpless, and all alone with his kidnapper.

It was overwhelming.

How long was he going to be stuck there? Was there any way someone could even find his location..? No. He wasn't going to think about things like that. He was going to be alright. Eren was going to escape, no matter what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> leave a comment if you have any thoughts about this, i'd love to hear them! i have another chapter and half of this written so if anyone wants me to post that, let me know!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so so so SO MUCH for the support on this fic, im amazed !!!!!!! 
> 
> also, this chapter is sorta a filler chapter and it's rly short but,, yeah

Eren had been there for three days when the boredom grew to be too much. It was around 4 PM, and Eren was unbearably bored.

"Levi!" He yelled after a few moments of thinking.

The door opened, and his captor walked in.

"What's wrong, Eren?" He asked.

Eren sighed. "I'm really fucking bored." He grumbled. "Can you give me something to do?"

Levi looked a bit amused at the question. "Yes, I figured this would happen soon. Do you like to read?" He questioned, and Eren nodded. "Okay, then. I'll bring you some books, and give you the remote to the TV."

Several minutes later, Levi returned with a stack of books and a remote. He put them on the bed and gave Eren a little smile.

"Is this good enough?" He wondered, genuinely worried, and Eren nodded.

"Yeah.. Thanks." He mumbled, making Levi smile wider.

"You're welcome, my darling."

Then he was gone.

Eren picked up a book.. Levi had brought him the whole Harry Potter series. Eren loved those books... He hadn't read them in quite a long time.

He started to read, mind wandering a bit about the days he had been there.

Levi hadn't hurt him since the first day. Eren hadn't really broken any of his rules... There wasn't much of a reason to. He knew begging to be let go wasn't going to work, and he didn't get a chance to fight or run away. Levi had been entering the room to give Eren food and let him go to the restroom, and leaving Eren alone for the rest of the day. The man seemed like he was concerned about Eren's wellbeing. He kept calling Eren 'bright eyes' and 'my darling,' and his piercing grey eyes always made Eren's stomach twist in discomfort.

Eren was surviving. And it was okay. He was going to get out soon... He was going to go live with his friends and everything would be fine. Those thoughts had kept him going whenever he felt like breaking down. Thoughts of his friends were all he had.

Eren read the first Harry Potter book in two and a half hours, and was about halfway through with the second one when Levi came in with food.

"Already done with the first one, bookworm?" Levi asked teasingly. "Do you like Harry Potter?"

Eren nodded a little. "Yeah, I love the movies too." He said mindlessly, putting the book down.

Levi gave him a bowl of fettuccini Alfredo and a glass of water.

Eren began eating, and couldn't stop himself from complimenting the man's cooking. He noticed that Levi's eyes lit up at the comment and he smiled.

"Really? I'm glad you like it. I love to cook, but I love making you happy even more." Levi said excitedly.

"Levi... If you brought me here because you care about me and want to make me happy, why didn't you just talk to me and get to know me like a normal human being?" Eren blurted, curious.

Levi blinked at the question. "Well.. I had to make sure you were safe as soon as possible, my darling. I had to get you away from all the horrible people out there. What if someone hurt you before I brought you home? I didn't want you to live alone in those dangerous streets. I can't even stand the thought of that." He replied sincerely.

Eren didn't know what to say. Were Levi's motives really that pure?

Levi let him use the restroom and took his dirty dishes away. After a few minutes of him being gone, Eren called for him again.

Levi walked back in.

"Yes, Eren?"

"Levi.. Can I take a shower?" Eren asked hesitantly. He hadn't washed himself in days, and he felt disgusting.

"Yeah, sure.. I'll have to stay with you in the restroom, though. But I'll look away." Levi replied.

He brought Eren back into the restroom and let him step into the shower and undress, sliding his shirt down the chains, and throwing his pants over the top of the shower.

"Hold on, I'll go get more clothes for you. Stay in there, okay?" Levi said, going back into the bedroom. Eren turned on the water and began washing his body.. The chains were hanging over the shower door, rattling against it every few seconds. Soon enough, Levi came back in.

Eren showered in silence, and Levi hung a towel over the shower door when he turned the water off. Eren dried off and wrapped the towel around his waist before stepping out. Levi handed him the clothes with his eyes closed. Eren dropped the towel and changed quickly, feeling nervous and vulnerable even though Levi's eyes were closed. He could easily open them and touch Eren, hurt him.. Eren shook off the thought. He pulled on boxers, sweatpants, and a black t-shirt.. The clothes were comfortable, and a bit too big for Eren. He didn't mind it. The clothes were nice, really.

"You can open your eyes now, Levi." Eren told him, and he complied. He smiled at the sight of Eren.

"You're adorable, bright eyes. Are those clothes good for you?" He asked.

"Yeah.. They're fine." Eren answered, and was chained back to his bed.

"I'll see you tomorrow, my darling. Goodnight." Levi said, smiling slightly.

Eren nodded. "Night."

He hated how polite he was. He couldn't help himself from being nice to his captor... Levi was being nice to him, too. Eren hoped Levi would start to trust him soon, and maybe take those cuffs off. Then Eren could run.. He could get out of there. He held on tightly to that hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for readingggg, let me know if you have any criticisms or thoughts you'd like to share!!
> 
> ALSO! I just went back in my notes and I realized I have the next full chapter written as well! I don't have anything written after that and I might not update once I post the next chapter, but it seems like you guys are enjoying it, so I'll try to find the time to write some more!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wOoooo here's another chapter, it's short and not my favorite but. yeah. thanks so much for the support !!

The next day, after lunch, Levi said something different.

"I have a surprise for you, my darling." He stated, smiling a bit.

"What is it?" Eren asked nervously.

Levi disappeared and returned with a stack of DVDs.

"Ta-da! I brought the Harry Potter movies for you! I remember you said you liked them." Levi exclaimed.

Eren's eyes widened. "Whoa.. Thank you, Levi." He said gratefully.

"Do you mind if I watch the first few with you? I figured you could watch the ones you've read." Levi asked.

"It's not like I have much of a choice, do I?" Eren shot at him.

"You do have a choice. If you don't want me to join you, I won't, bright eyes." Levi stated firmly.

"You.. You can join if you want." Eren allowed. He had been getting pretty lonely.. Levi's short visits weren't enough. Eren needed human interaction.

"Thank you, my darling. I'm glad to hear that. I'll go pop some popcorn for us... Do you like Coca-Cola or Sprite?" Levi wondered.

"Sprite." Eren replied.

Levi came back in minutes later with a big bowl of popcorn and two cans of soda. He set them on the bed, and put the books and most of the DVDs on the floor. He put in the first movie and sat on Eren's right side, leaving some space between them that Eren was grateful for.

They watched the first three movies, going through three soda cans each, and two bags of popcorn.

Eren actually enjoyed himself.

If he ignored the cuff on his wrist, he could pretend that he was just hanging out with a friend, when in reality, he was hanging out with his fucking _kidnapper_.

Eren felt less alone and unhappy than before.. It was good, spending time with someone. Even if that was his captor. Eren had nobody else to spend time with, so that was the best he could get. After the movies were over, Levi made dinner. It was a homemade pizza... It was really good, and Eren told him that, making him smile.

Eren was very confused by the time Levi left. He didn't understand how he could have fun with his kidnapper. The man who ripped him away from his life. But Levi was kind to him.. He cared about Eren's wellbeing, feeding him well and providing him with entertainment. He just wanted to protect Eren. But Eren couldn't trust him. Levi might just be lying to him. Eren had no way of knowing his motives.. Levi could still hurt him. He could do whatever he wanted to Eren.

Eren wasn't safe. He wasn't happy. He missed his friends so bad.. He missed his life. He missed his art and his job and his freedom. Eren just wanted to escape.

\---

On the seventh day of Eren's captivity, Levi was taking off Eren's cuffs to put on the longer ones, so he could take ashower.

But this time, Levi messed up. He took off both cuffs before putting the others on... Eren had his chance. His friends' faces flashed in his mind, and he didn't hesitate. He punched Levi in the face and kicked him as hard as he could, then scrambled to his feet.

Eren sprinted out the door, ignoring Levi's desperate, screaming calls for him. Eren's heart was thudding rapidly in his ears and he felt like he was having a heart attack. Eren ran down the hall and towards what he figured was the front door. He yanked it open and bolted down the stairs and outside as fast as he could... God, it felt so good to exercise, to be outside...! Eren felt _free_. Eren saw a dirt road and he began running down it... He heard Levi close behind. Eren felt panic shoot through him. He glanced behind him for a second too long, and tripped over a tree root onto the ground.

Eren landed on his hands and knees, and tried to stand up and keep going, but it was too late. Levi forced him onto his back, straddling him, and held his wrists above his head like the night he took him.

Eren screamed as loud as he could.

"HELP! HELP ME, SAVE ME, SOMEBODY, PLEASE!" Eren shrieked, eyes screwed shut, and before he knew it, a wet cloth was muffling his objections. Eren breathed in deeply before he realized what the cloth was. It smelled so sweet and strong.. Eren grew extremely woozy and passed out in seconds.

\---

Eren woke up feeling like he did the first day. Groggy, exhausted, dizzy... Like he was lying on a cloud.

Eren was still there. Still trapped. That escape attempt was all for nothing.

He noticed that both his wrists were cuffed now... His bit of freedom had been ripped away. The books, DVDs, and TV remote were scattered on the floor. Several water bottles were on the bed... The sight of that made Eren's eyes widen. It seemed like the water could last Eren for days. What did that mean..?

Eren waited anxiously for Levi to return, his mind going wild with rapid, scared thoughts.

It was 7 PM. The hours dragged on, and Eren had nothing to do but sit there and drink water. The lights were off, so it was pitch black in there... And everything was completely silent.

Eren fell asleep at 9, unable to deal with the boredom and anxiety any longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> leave a comment if you have any thoughts you'd like to share, im open to anything! thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's another chapterrrr, I like this one better! I had like 3/4 of this written already and I had no idea so that's cool. I don't actually have anything written after this though, and I don't have a solid plan for the next few chapters, so don't expect an update really soon after this.
> 
> anyways, thanks so much for reading!

Eren spent the next day in boredom, silence, and darkness.

He was miserable.

There was nobody to talk to, nothing to do at all. He tried to remember entire movies and watch them in his head... He fantasized the police breaking into the house and rescuing him. He imagined long conversations with his friends, and even hanging out with Levi... The loneliness was so awful.

Eren ended up pissing himself that afternoon, since there was no way he could go to the restroom with his restraints. When it happened, he couldn't do anything but sob in despair.

Eren was so fucking hungry. His stomach kept growling and eventually, it started to hurt from the lack of food.

At around 5 PM, Eren began to wonder if Levi would ever come back. Would Eren be left to rot in that bed? Was he going to slowly die of starvation, all alone in the dark, covered in his piss? Levi must hate him, since he tried to escape... _God_ , Eren was so stupid. He jeopardized his own survival. Levi hadn't been hurting him.. He didn't do anything bad to Eren. If Eren just fucking _listened_ to him and followed his rules, he could've lived comfortably until the cops found him.

But no. Now Eren was being punished, and he had no idea if Levi was ever going to return.

Eren cried himself to sleep that night, more terrified than he had ever been in his life. He didn't know what was going to happen to him.. He didn't know if he'd ever eat or see the light again. It was absolutely horrifying, being so helpless and uncertain like that.

\---

The next day was the exact same.

Eren was so fucking desperate for human interaction.. He felt like he was the only person left on Earth. He was so lonely... God, the loneliness was tearing him apart.

Eren spent that day shouting for his kidnapper.

"LEVI!" He screamed, sounding needy. A lump formed in his throat at the silence that answered him.

"LEVI, PLEASE...! I'M SORRY, LEVI! PLEASE, please..." Eren's voice tapered off into a sob on the last word.

Eren felt so much fucking regret.

Trying to escape was not at all worth the consequences. Eren wasn't going to try it again. He wouldn't. He'd try to get out in other ways.. Finding a phone, convincing Levi to let him go, something like that... But Eren was never going to attempt to run from Levi again.

Eren hated that he missed Levi, but he couldn't help it. The man looked at Eren like he was the entire world, he called him beautiful and made him food and took care of him.. Levi was good to Eren for the most part, and Eren really fucking missed that.

Eren had to keep in mind that Levi still couldn't be trusted. He hit Eren. He put Eren alone in the dark and let him suffer for days. He wasn't a saint.. He could still hurt Eren. Eren had to keep his guard up, to remember the situation he was in. He had to stay strong.

Eren cried and yelled for most of that day. Stomach cramps were fucking killing him, and he ended up pissing himself again.

Eren would've given almost anything for Levi to come back.

\---

The next day, Eren woke up to someone shaking him awake. His eyes shot open and he saw Levi standing there... Relief overwhelmed him.

"Levi... Levi..! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I won't run from you again, I promise...!" Eren cried, unable to hold in his words.

Levi's eyes were cold and unforgiving. Eren saw a bruise on his cheek from where he punched him.. Guilt overwhelmed Eren at the sight of it, and he couldn't stop the tears from spilling.

"You understand why I had to punish you, don't you?" Levi asked coolly.

Eren nodded vigorously, yanking on his restraints, attempting to inch himself closer to Levi.

"Yes, I know, I'm sorry you had to do that, I'm sorry I tried to leave, god, I'm sorry..!" He apologized desperately, voice cracking. "Please, _please_ don't leave me again."

Levi sighed and his intimidating expression fell away. He stepped forward and caressed Eren's face, brushing away his tears, and the captive didn't refuse him.

"Why don't we get you cleaned up, bright eyes?" Levi said.

He took Eren to the restroom, but  
instead of leading him to the shower, he led him to the bathtub.

Levi turned the water on and poured some kind of liquid into the bath.

"It's for bubbles. Go ahead and get in, just put those clothes on the floor." Levi stated.

Eren undressed and sat down in the tub, relaxing as the hot water slowly enveloped his body. Bubbles covered him, making him feel a bit less vulnerable.

"Will you let me wash your hair, my darling?" Levi offered.

"Yes.. Please." Eren replied, his voice timid.

He closed his eyes as Levi massaged the shampoo into his hair.. God, it felt good. Levi was so gentle.

"Levi.. I'm sorry. I know you're just trying to protect me and.. You didn't deserve what I did." Eren apologized quietly.

Levi hummed in response.

"Just never do it again, okay, Eren? We can put this behind us." Levi said.

"Okay." Eren replied softly.

Levi washed out the shampoo, and began massaging the conditioner into his hair.

"What do you think about me, Eren? And about being here?" Levi asked, making Eren freeze up a little.

How was he supposed to respond to that? What if his answer wasn't good enough, what if it made Levi angry? What if Levi.. left him again?

"Eren? Did you hear my question?"

"Y-yeah, sorry. I'm just trying to think of a response... Um..." Eren muttered. "I... I don't know. You're nice to me and... You take care of me, but then again.. you kidnapped me... I.. I don't know. I don't hate you. And being here isn't bad, I guess." Eren blabbered, regretting what he said. That wasn't a good answer, was it..!?

Levi was silent for a few moments, and Eren couldn't breathe through his fear.

"I'm glad you don't hate me." He said softly, surprising Eren. He expected a negative response, an outburst of some kind.. But Levi just seemed grateful.

Levi rinsed out the conditioner in his hair and turned away while Eren washed his body.

"Hold on, I'll go get some clothes and change your bedsheets.. Don't you _dare_ move." Levi stated, his voice harsh on the last command, making Eren wince a little. He probably deserved that.

He finished washing himself, drained the tub, and put on a towel. Soon enough, Levi came back in with clothes.

Eren changed into them.. It was boxers, sweatpants, and a t-shirt again.

Eren was glad to finally be out of his soiled clothes from earlier.

When Levi chained Eren to his bed, he noticed that the sheets were warm from being in the drier.. Eren burrowed under the blankets and sighed contentedly.

Levi tucked him in with a little smile.

"I'll bring you some breakfast. Do you like French toast?" He asked, and Eren nodded.

Levi left, and Eren was alone again.. But the lights were on, and he was warm, clean, and not alone. He felt so much better. Seeing Levi had helped him greatly. The man really wasn't that bad.. Staying there wasn't so bad either. Eren was so confused. He was supposed to hate Levi.. And he kind of did. He hated Levi for keeping him here against his will, for slapping him, for leaving him alone for days. But Levi could've been _much_ worse to him. He gave Eren food he liked, he gave him books, movies, and access to television. He provided for Eren. He cared about Eren.

Was Eren going about this situation wrong...? He was so determined to fight back and resist Levi on that first day.. But there wasn't really much to resist. What was Eren supposed to be doing in the situation? Lashing out at Levi? Or was he supposed to be a good, docile victim? Was he supposed to hate Levi, or get close to him?

Eren had no fucking idea what he was doing. He was just going with the flow and acting on whatever felt best... Right now, he wanted to be on Levi's good side. He didn't want to be punished anymore.. He wanted to have someone to talk to and fight off the loneliness with.

Levi fed Eren the French toast, since both his wrists were restrained.. It was a little embarrassing, but Eren was so hungry he didn't really care.

Afterwards, he spoke up.

"Hey.. Levi... Can you stay in here with me today? Please?" He asked tentatively.

Levi's eyes lit up.

"Really?" He asked in disbelief.

Eren nodded, making Levi smile.

"Okay. I'll be right back after I put these dishes away." The man said, enthusiasm obvious in his voice.

He disappeared for a few moments, then returned and sat down next to Eren.

"What do you want to do, my darling?" Levi wondered.

"Um.. Can we just talk? I don't know anything about you." Eren replied.

"Yeah, okay. What do you want to know?"

"How old are you, Levi?" Eren questioned.

"I'm thirty years old." Levi answered, and Eren raised an eyebrow.

"Really? You look younger.. Oh well. What do you do as a job?" Eren continued.

"I edit books before they're published. I make quite a bit of money from it.. Well, enough to buy this cabin for you." Levi said with a smile.

"Did you.. Did you really buy this place just for _me_?" Eren asked in awe, his eyes wide.

"Mhm. I wanted to get you far away from anyone who could hurt you, and this cabin is perfect." Levi said.

Eren found out more and more about Levi. He found out that Levi had no family or friends.. They had all died. He went to college to be an author but he lost his inspiration when his friends Farlan and Isabel passed away. His friend Erwin got him a job as an editor, and he got shot during a robbery not long afterwards.

"You see why I need to keep you here, right? You're all I've got left, bright eyes. I won't let anything bad happen to you... You're all mine. Nobody will ever hurt you." Levi told him, his voice sincere.

God, poor Levi, losing all of his friends like that... Suddenly, Eren thought of his friends, and he felt pain spread through his chest.

"What's wrong, Eren?" Levi asked worriedly, his eyes searching Eren's. He could probably see the sadness on Eren's face.

"I just... I miss my friends." Eren mumbled. "I understand what you're doing, but I miss them anyways."

He looked up at Levi to see a conflicted expression on his face.

"U-uh- please don't do anything about them, though, Levi. Don't bring them here or something.. I'll be fine." Eren added, a little concerned Levi would kidnap them too.

"No, I'm not going to bring anyone here. I'm sorry that you miss them, but I'll do whatever I can to make sure you're not lonely, my darling." Levi reassured him, and Eren exhaled in relief. This wasn't so bad... Levi cared for Eren, and it didn't seem like he would do anything bad to Eren besides keeping him captive or punishing him for breaking rules.

But how was Eren supposed to trust him? How could Eren feel relaxed and comfortable around his captor like this? How could Eren ever feel calm in this situation... how could he ever trust Levi?

"What are you thinking about, bright eyes?" Levi wondered, staring at Eren intently with his piercing gaze. Eren glanced away, feeling like Levi was reading his mind.

Eren decided to tell him the truth.. he felt like he owed it to Levi, after hurting him and trying to escape like that.

"I.. feel weird about trusting you, Levi." Eren admitted, his eyes locked on the bed, his chest tight in fear of Levi's reaction. "How am I supposed to believe that you're not going to hurt me? How do I know you're not just trying to get my guard down so you can make me suffer even more?"

A few moments passed.

"Please look at me, darling." Levi said gently, and Eren reluctantly obeyed, meeting his captor's intense eyes.

"I promise you, bright eyes, I will never harm you unless you make me. All I want is for you to be happy. I just want to keep you safe and take care of you, and I would _never_ do anything to make you upset unless I had no other choice. The only reason I punished you is because I care, Eren, and I can't handle the thought of you running back to a world that could hurt you... you mean too much to me to let you go back to that." Levi confessed, his eyes locked on Eren's throughout his speech, practically bleeding sincerity. He sounded like he was telling the truth.. Eren was speechless at the heartfelt response.

"I won't ever do anything to make you uncomfortable or upset unless you break my rules, darling. And you shouldn't ever want to. If you ever need anything, you can ask me, and I'll give you whatever I can. All I want is to make you smile that lovely smile of yours, bright eyes." Levi continued, reaching forward and caressing Eren's cheek with a gentle hand, gazing at Eren like he was brighter than the stars, mesmerized by his captive's beauty.

"You're everything to me, Eren."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank youuuu <33333 leave a comment maybe ??? any thoughts, suggestions, and criticisms are welcome !


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